Friends and Lovers: Shin Tsubasa
by information specialist
Summary: Sequel to Phantom Manager Syndrome. During their time as Japan's Junior Youth League, the players discover things about themselves, and about each other. Chapters are linked by chronological events, but were originally written to be individual one-shots.
1. Chapter 1

**FRIENDS AND LOVERS: SHIN TSUBASA**

**MISUGI'S OLD FRIEND**

Disclaimer: Captain Tsubasa belongs to Yoichi Takahashi. This work of fiction was created solely out of love for the characters by a fan, for other fans. The lyrics at the beginning of the chapter are from the song "Comatose" by the amazing band Skillet.

_I hate feeling like this,  
I'm so tired of trying to fight this,  
I'm asleep and all I dream of is waking to you.  
Tell me that you will listen,  
Your touch is what I'm missing  
And the more I hide I realize,  
I'm slowly losing you.  
Comatose  
I'll never wake up without an overdose of you._

**JMHMJMHMJ JMHMJMHMJ JMHMJMHMJ JMHMJMHMJ JMHMJMHMJ MHMJMHMJ**

Misugi Jun was packing his clothes.

Coach Mikami had asked him to draw up his own 'dream team' using all the information he had gathered about the players' styles and personalities. He was very excited to receive the assignment for several reasons.

First, he had already been thinking about what players would make a good starting team. Now, he had a chance to applying his theories.

The second reason was a bit more selfish.

_Now I get to move back to my own room. _

After all, he needed quiet to work on his assignment, an element which was nonexistent in the dorms.

Initially, Misugi had enjoyed the time he spent with the others. Everyone was welcoming; more so when he told them he was there to make sure they were doing well and had everything they needed to train. A few even took his role a bit too seriously and kept reporting trivial complaints- that the dorm needed an AC installed, that Mikami worked them too hard, etc.

But those comments never reached the coach. Hyuuga Kojiro had quickly put an end to the grumbling (mostly from Ishizaki, Soda, and Urabe) by telling them to stop being wusses and that they were here to train, not to be pampered. T

The first comment in Misugi's notebook would have been about the Toho captain's natural leadership skills, except his ability to motivate others was common knowledge. Coach had already noticed it and Misugi was pretty sure Hyuuga would be chosen as Captain.

After Kojiro's reprimand, Misugi was able to concentrate more on his main objective; getting information about the players to help the coach make strategic decisions.

He was already well acquainted with some of the boys from before like Team Nankatsu's players Ishizaki, Kisugi, Taki, Izawa and Morisaki. He had also known Hyuuga and Matsuyama Hikaru since grade school as strong competitors; and Matsuyama was more of a friend than a mere acquaintance. However, besides their playing styles, he knew nothing about the others.

Misugi had made the most out of his stay by learning enough about the different personalities to help bring out the best in them.

The best example was related to Hyuuga's right hand Sawada Takeshi.

Coach faced some difficulty with the young midfielder. He was an excellent player, but was more inclined to pass the ball to Hyuuga and Surimachi because they were on his old team. Coach tried separating Sawada from his Toho mates during practice by placing them in opposing teams. Unfortunately, he simply didn't manage as well without them. It was too bad, especially since he had great potential.

Misugi's first objective had been to find a way to help Takeshi. He had kept an eye on him for days and noticed that the midfielder only hung out with his fellow Toho members.

_Maybe if he gets more integrated with the others then he'll play better with them. _

At least that was Coach's theory. But it wasn't like Misugi could force Sawada to get to know the others. He didn't even want to suggest it to him because he had realized that Sawada was a closeted shy person. Also, unlike when he was Captain of team Musashi, the players here were unused to getting orders from anyone other than their coaches or captain's. Misugi didn't want to ruffle any feathers. And although Sawada was probably open to receiving advice, Misugi didn't want to embarrass him or impose on him.

_He probably just feels awkward because he's the youngest person here. Actually, he's not. There's one other player who's also a first year._

Nitta.

And the answer came instantly to Misugi. Nitta was a very sociable and confident person. That probably came from being the star forward of his team. And Sawada was a midfielder.

_Perfect. _

He had sat next to Nitta one night during dinner.

"_So, Nitta-kun, how is everything?"_

"_Misugi-san, you tell me. What do you think of my playing?"_

"_You're playing is good, you have a great kick. But it's not really as strong as Hyuuga's is it? I wonder how he gets his kick to be that strong?"_

That was all he had to do. Nitta had taken his bait and started hanging around the 'Toho' crowd. And just as Misugi predicted, he and Sawada became fast friends, drawn by virtue of being the youngest talents.

The change instantly registered on the field. Misugi suggested to Coach that he pair up midfielder Sawada and forward Nitta on the same team during practice. The result had been phenomenal. Sawada had no problem passing the ball to his new friend, which resulted in him breaking out of the habit of only passing the ball to Toho members. Soon, he was able to play just as well with everyone.

Thus Mikami's theory that friend's played better together was proven right. The exercise hadn't only been beneficial, it had been fun. Best of all, no one suspected the real reason for Misugi's presence. He never gave advice out rightly; instead always made seemingly general remarks in front of the people who needed to hear them. And so he had happily remained an unobtrusive entity.

But as the days turned into weeks, Misugi found himself missing his room.

One reason was due to the fact that he found himself learning more about the players than he felt comfortable knowing. For example, several times, he noticed Matsuyama-kun staring off into a distance, a wistful look on his face.

Misugi knew that look well; he had caught himself wearing it several times.

Wondering who Matsuyama might be missing reminded Jun of his own ache for his own longtime manager. Thankfully he was usually too busy to think about Yayoi.

But something happened during his second week with the others that made Misugi feel like he needed to leave the dorms, and that he needed his manager; and that he needed both desperately.

He had a revelation.

Ever since Katagiri invited Misugi to the camp as a coach, the young man had thrown himself into his designated position. It hadn't been difficult to channel his thoughts into 'trainer mode'. After all, thinking up plays for team Musashi so they'd be able to manage without him had been a crucial part of his duties as Captain. He had done so for years. And yet Misugi never expected he would be able to use this talent for anything other else. Becoming a trainer had never crossed his mind. He wanted to be a professional soccer player.

But he was now able to appreciate his gift for tactics on a whole new level. It enabled him to join the camp despite the fact that he couldn't play. Misugi had wanted to be a part of the national team so badly that he thought as long as he was there in some capacity, any capacity, he'd be satisfied.

He had thought that was enough.

And it was.

By focusing on the positions of the others as they played, Misugi himself hadn't missed playing.

But that was before he had joined them in their living quarters.

There was no playing in the dorms, not unless 'pillow ball' counted, and it didn't count to Misugi, no matter how hard the Jito and Sano tried to convince him.

There was no analyzing tactics, no 'trainer' mode to convert to.

Instead, there was talk. Talk about who would be picked for the junior youth league and who would be able to go to Europe. Talk about whether Tsubasa would join them there. The more confident members like Soda and Tachibana twins happily boasted that they were going to become internationally famous.

Listening to their hopes and aspirations made Misugi painfully aware that his own would never be realized. He had focused so hard on learning how to be a trainer that he hadn't reflected on being unable to play with the others.

But spending time with the players made him face that reality head on, and he had what would be described as an epiphany; except it was too obvious to be one.

He hadn't been satisfied in his new role. He hadn't been happy.

He had been in denial.

In the end, Misugi had not only gotten to know the members well, he got a pretty good look at himself too.

And he hadn't liked what he saw.

**JMHMJMHMJ JMHMJMHMJ JMHMJMHMJ JMHMJMHMJ JMHMJMHMJ JMHMJMHMJ**

Misugi finished packing and looked one last time at the dorm that served as his room for the last several weeks.

"Well, good night. See you guys tomorrow," he addressed the Tachibana twins and Morisaki, whom, as always, were the first to return to the dorms in the evening.

"Good night, Misugi-san," Morisaki answered.

"Try not to miss us too much," Masao joked. Misugi answered his smirk with his own before shutting the door.

His private room was at the end of the same hall. Taking off his shoes, Misugi entered and started unpacking his sports bag. It didn't take long. Since his room was so close, all he had packed were essentials like sleepwear, hygienic supplies, and of course, his notebook. Everything else he had left in his room.

After he was done, he took his notebook and sat at his desk, intending to work on Mikami's latest assignment.

_Back into trainer mode._

The mere thought was enough to make Jun's eyes burn and heart race.

Just like on the night he realized he still wanted to play.

**JMHMJMHMJ JMHMJMHMJ JMHMJMHMJ JMHMJMHMJ JMHMJMHMJ JMHMJMHMJ**

It had been almost a week ago. What had started out as just another evening in the dorm, ended up being a night full of introspection and discovery.

On the evening in question, Misugi had been very tired and sleepy, but the boys had been rowdier than ever. By the time they finally settled down, Jun was wide awake with insomnia.

And extremely annoyed. No not annoyed, he had been angry.

_Selfish jerks._ _Don't they realize that I have to be up an hour before them to help Coach prepare for the day? _

The more he thought about it, the angrier he became. It didn't help that everyone else was blissfully asleep. The snoring was also louder than usual, as if the universe was mocking him. Jun became so livid that he was practically shaking in his futon with rage.

It wasn't until he felt a stab of pain in his chest that he become conscious of the fact that his blood pressure had spiked.

_This isn't good, _he remembered thinking.

He had taken deep relaxing breaths to try and bring his heartbeat to a slower rate. It took a while, but he eventually succeeded.

_Wow. I literally almost put myself into cardiac arrest._ _And for what? Just because the guys took a while to fall asleep? _

He had been astonished. It wasn't like the boys' turning in late was anything new. And it wasn't in his nature to be easily provoked or upset.

_There has to be another reason. _

Misugi had replayed the events of that day. It hadn't taken long until his mind reached an incident that caused his heartbeat to speed up again.

It wasn't the fact that the boys stayed up. It was _what_ caused them to stay up that night.

They had been discussing their favorite topic again: who would be picked for the junior youth team. Everyone thought Hyuuga and Matsuyama were shoo- ins. So was Tsubasa, if he ever healed in time to join them.

However, they all argued over who else would be chosen.

Everyone had an opinion and the squabble had gotten especially heated that night.

They had even tried pulling Misugi into the conversation; despite his always refraining from giving an opinion, saying nothing other than 'everyone has a good chance of being picked'.

That evening, though, they had been relentless; begging, prodding, even bribing him to tell them whom Mikami would choose.

Finally, Jito suggested that they start a betting pool on who would make the team.

"Come on boys, put your money where your mouth is," he had provoked, "you can bet on who you think will be chosen; you can even bet on yourselves." Most of the players had joined the pool. Those who hadn't (Kisugi, Izawa, Morisaki, Matsuyama, Wakashimazu, Sawada, Oda and Surimachi) refused on principle.

The pool had affectively ended the argument. Everyone fell asleep afterwards.

So what had been so upsetting about this incident?

No one mentioned Misugi's name.

_Well, of course no one would bring me up. I'm not registered in the camp as a player, so why would anyone bet that I'd be chosen as one? _

But, if his heart rate was to be believed, that was the reason behind his anger.

_Why? I'm a trainer. Why would it bother me that I wasn't in that stupid pool?_

It was then that the answer hit him like a ton of bricks.

They were asking him who would be chosen and whom he thought would be a good member, and all he could think about was how hard he would work if he were a player. How much he wanted to be chosen.

All their pestering and the subsequent betting felt like they were purposely rubbing salt into an open wound. In this case, the wound was his heart.

_I was envious; because I want to play too, and I can't._

And that was why he had been angry.

It had been a harrowing revelation. After which, spending time with the others in the dorm lost all its appeal. It wasn't easy to encourage and wish the members luck when all he could think about was how much he wanted to join them. And although he was a private person, he had been so affected that it he feared his face would betray his inner dilemma.

Misugi didn't even want to imagine how the others would react if they knew of his jealousy. He had it hard enough dealing with himself after he found out. His emotions kept running the gamut between depression at his illness, resentment of the others, and disappointment in himself for having such a weak reaction.

_What's the use of brooding over something I know is impossible? I was supposed to have gotten over this._

It was then that he started to pine for Yayoi more than ever.

For years, she had been the only one he could talk to about his disease. It wasn't just the fact that he had kept is a secret from everyone and she was the only one who knew. It was because she could always make him forget his condition when he needed to. Sometimes, her mere presence was enough. And when it wasn't she always seemed to know what to say to put him at ease.

But she wasn't here now. And Jun hated how much he felt like he needed her. After all, just like any other young man, he had his pride. It angered him to realize how dependent he had become.

_I have to be stronger than this._

His last week with the others had been tough, to say the least.

**JMHMJMHMJ JMHMJMHMJ JMHMJMHMJ JMHMJMHMJ JMHMJMHMJ JMHMJMHMJ**

And that was why Misugi was glad to leave the dorm. Mikami's task to draw up the starting team was a chance for reprieve. He was back in his room where he couldn't be distracted from his role as a trainer by the players.

Only now he knew that all this time, he had been using his trainer role to distract himself from wanting to play.

At his desk, Misugi rubbed his face. Taking deep breaths, he tried to force the desire down, back into where it had been locked up. But he was quickly losing the battle.

Now that he was alone, there was nothing to distract him from it.

Now he was in the privacy of his room; there was no need for pretenses.

Now that the desire to play was awakened, there was no putting it back to sleep.

Tears of disappointment filled his eyes.

_How can I still be grieving over this? How can I be so pathetic!?_

Angrily wiping his eyes, Misugi stood up and walked towards his bed where his soccer ball was.

It had been a gift to him from his father many years ago. When Jun told his father he was joining the camp, the elder Misugi made him promise to take the ball with him. Jun had laughed and protested, saying that he didn't need it, that the camp was undoubtedly equipped with more than enough soccer balls.

"Besides, I'm not even going to play," he had said. But his father had insisted.

Misugi now understood why.

He held the old sphere in his hands.

_Dad knew. He knew I would feel this way, that I would need you, old friend. _

Misugi wasn't nearly as obsessed as Tsubasa, but that ball had been the only thing to keep him sane as a sickly child who couldn't play outside.

And once again it had purpose in Misugi's life.

It was the only thing that kept the young trainer from misery when the desire to play gripped him, or when he missed his manager, or both. He could no longer differentiate anymore between the two feelings; both were equally painful, and both were incurable. There was only one thing that could alleviate his symptoms.

On nights like this, when loneliness, bitterness and disappointment became one, when they accumulated into bile in the back of his throat threatening to suffocate him, there was only one thing he could do to keep from completely losing himself in his distress.

Misugi put on his shoes.

Grabbing his ball and going outside, another advantage of having his own room came to mind.

_At least now I won't have to worry about waking anyone up when I sneak out at night to practice. _

**JMHMJMHMJ JMHMJMHMJ JMHMJMHMJ JMHMJMHMJ JMHMJMHMJ JMHMJMHMJ**

**Author's note:** Wow. That ended up being much darker (and longer!) than I planned. This is a sequel to "Phantom Manager Syndrome" but unlike that story, this fic is not a one-shot. Please let me know if it ever overbearing so I can tone it down. I know I'm focusing a lot on Misugi now but the reason (other than his being one of my favorites) is because I find his struggle is a great way to bring out the other characters' personalities. I just finished watching Shin Tsubasa, and finally found an English subbed version of Road to 2002(R22002) on youtube (the uploader's name is Informer, in case anyone is interested in watching too). It seems like R22002 is actually sort of a recap of the first season, and also includes the events of Shin Tsubasa. I skipped through the recap of the first season but am watching the remake of the Shin Tsubasa storyline. It's interesting to see the slight differences between the two. I hope the show will continue to inspire me to write more fics.


	2. Hyuuga's New Friend

**FRIEND'S AND LOVERS: SHIN TSUBASA**

**HYUUGA'S NEW FRIEND**

Disclaimer: Captain Tsubasa belongs to Yoichi Takahashi. This work of fiction was created solely out of love for the characters by a fan, for other fans.

_**  
**_**JMHMJMHMJ JMHMJMHMJ JMHMJMHMJ JMHMJMHMJ JMHMJMHMJ JMHMJMHMJ**

"Oi, where's Misugi?" Ishizaki wondered.

The rest of the team was back in the dorm and everyone was getting ready for bed.

"He's gone back to his room," Tachibana Kazuo answered.

"How come?" Taki asked.

Matsuyama Hikaru had been about to make the same inquiry. He had enjoyed Misugi's presence.

"Mikami coach gave him an assignment to work on and he said he wanted to start right away." Morisaki informed them.

"Oh, thank God!" Urabe exclaimed.

Everyone stopped what they were doing and looked at him in surprise.

"You seem very relieved," Nitta, who had been unrolling his futon, commented to his older teammate.

"Yeah, what was the 'thank God' for?"Ishizaki asked.

"Oh, come on, am I the only one who thought he was weird?" Urabe continued, putting on his pajamas.

"Obviously, since none of us know what the hell you're talking about," Hyuuga Kojiro replied as he took off his shirt.

Matsuyama thought Kojiro's tone sounded a bit menacing.

_Or maybe it's just his pose._

Hyuuga had stopped changing to regard Urabe, waiting for him to continue. Standing tall, his bare torso and arms revealing hard muscles, he certainly looked intimidating.

"Oh come on guys! It's bad enough he stares at us during training, then he joins our dorm and I have to worry about him staring at us here as well," Urabe explained , oblivious to Hyuuga's body language.

The Toho captain's anger however, wasn't unnoticed by his old team mates. Wakashimazu Ken's eyes darted towards Hyuuga.

"He doesn't' stare, he's studying us. Watching how we play. It's his job," the goalkeeper pointed out. He'd known Kojiro for a long time and could tell from his tone earlier that he was annoyed at Urabe's statement, though he wasn't sure why.

"That's right," Sawada Takeshi agreed, also looking at his captain with wariness. _If Urabe knew Hyuuga-san like we do, he'd know to drop the subject. _

"I know it's his job, but he even does it when we're not playing. It's weird!" Urabe insisted, unaware of the tension he'd created.

"You're weird," Ishizaki joked.

"Actually, I agree with Urabe," Soda Makoto admitted. Jito and Sano turned to look at their new friend in surprise.

"Not about the staring, I haven't noticed that. But I do think it's a bit weird how silent he is. I've heard so much about him, not just as a player but also as a tactician. I expected him to be giving us all sorts of input or suggestions," he explained, "but he hasn't. Not once."

"Unlike people from Osaka, us Tokyo-ins only talk when we actually have something to say," Hyuuga snapped. Everyone looked at him in surprise. This time both his remark and tone were aggressive enough that everyone became aware of his irritation, not just his Toho mates and Matsuyama.

"You trying to pick a fight here?" Makoto said angrily, "What're you insulting me for?"

"Just pointing out that not everyone feels a need to pollute the air with incessant jabber," Hyuuga replied forcefully, knowing he was provoking the Osaka native, but not caring. Soda stood up angrily but Jito Hiroshi pushed him down easily.

"Easy there, it's a matter of opinion, no need to get riled up about," Jito stated calmly. His hand was heavy on Soda's shoulder, but he was looking at Hyuuga, addressing his words to him. Kojiro stared right back at him.

Hikaru, who had been listening silently, decided to step in before things escalated.

"Soda, you're right. Misugi-kun is incredibly talented and smart and probably has all sorts of ideas to share. But I think the reason he hasn't done so is because he probably feels like it is not his place to give advice; at least for now. After all, like Wakashimazu said, he's still learning. It's not like he's the head coach."

_Another possibility is that Misugi-kun only addresses his concerns to the Coach, not to us. _Hikaru thought, but kept the idea to himself.

"That makes sense to me," Kisugi said quickly, also wanting to dissolve the tense situation.

"It does sound like him," Izawa added, "You were on our team in grade school when we played against team Musashi," he said, addressing Urabe, "Have you forgotten how polite and reserved he is? He never even told anyone of his illness. We only found out because he had a hard time making it through the game."

"So you guys are saying unlike Urabe and I, he's just not talkative?" Makoto countered, sounding both incredulous and a bit insulted.

"It's just his personality," Matsuyama immediately replied, pacifying Soda. "But it's also this: you wouldn't volunteer a solution to a problem unless you were positive you had the correct answer, right? Doesn't the same apply to him?"

"Actually, that example isn't very useful cause Urabe always thinks he's right," Ishizaki interjected, pestering his longtime rival. Urabe opened his mouth to defend himself, but Matsuyama quickly continued.

"Also," he overrode Urabe, not wanting a new argument to start and make them go off the topic at hand. "Also, couldn't another reason be that we're all doing so well he simply has no feedback to give?"

It was a legitimate possibility. Hikaru had actually asked Misugi a few days ago if he had any suggestions for him. Jun had smiled and simply said to keep up the good work.

"I guess that's true," Soda mused. That idea appealed to him.

Everyone looked at Urabe, waiting to see if he was persuaded. Their stares made him uncomfortable.

Remembering Misugi's heart condition had made Urabe feel guilty for talking about him behind his back. Not because he was ill, but because he had forgotten how silently the glass ace had suffered for a long time. _I guess he really is just a quiet person. And even though I still think it's weird how he watches us, it's not fair for me to judge him. _

"You're probably right," he conceded. Matsuyama held back a sigh of relief.

"You should be thankful he hasn't said anything about you, Urabe," Ishizaki ribbed, "he'd have to point out how much you suck."

This time, Matsuyama didn't prevent the inevitable argument. This time, it came at a perfect time.

"You're one to talk!" Urabe yelled, as Nitta laughed at how easily his senior could be goaded.

And the heavy air in the room instantly lightened.

Hikaru smiled. _Damage successfully controlled._

He couldn't care less about the current fight. Unlike the quarrel he just ended, Hikaru knew Ishizaki's and Urabe's arguments were harmless. The worst they ever escalated to was a challenge to a game of pillow ball.

"I challenge you!" Urabe shouted. Matsuyama smirked at how predictable they were.

_Why doesn't Ishizaki just admit he likes playing that childish game, instead of irritating Urabe into challenging him? Oh well, at least it's a good distraction._

The topic of Misugi was long forgotten as the rest of the players picked sides and started cheering the two on. Hikaru was glad of it. He considered Misugi a friend and had felt uncomfortable during the discussion about him. It was nice, however, to see that most of the players had stood up for the Musashi captain.

_Some more than the others. _Matsuyama thought, glancing at Hyuuga.

Toho's tiger had changed into sweatpants, but hadn't bothered to put a shirt on, making it possible for Hikaru to perceive that the tension had left his shoulders as watched him spread his futon on the floor.

Intrigued, Hikaru made his bed nearby.

**JMHMJMHMJ JMHMJMHMJ JMHMJMHMJ JMHMJMHMJ JMHMJMHMJ JMHMJMHMJ**

In the night, after making sure that the others had drifted into unconsciousness, Hikaru sat up to check to see if Kojiro had as well. He found him wide awake, his piercing eyes staring right at him, hands behind his head.

"What's up, Matsuyama?"

"You haven't slept yet."

"I figured you had something on your mind when you spread your futon near mine. Not that I could sleep, mind you, even if I wanted to. Whatever you want, it better be good. Your friend's snoring is getting on my nerves," Hyuuga remarked, glancing in disgust at Oda's sleeping figure between them.

Matsuyama smiled and gave his longtime team mate a slight shove, causing Oda to shift slightly. His snoring stopped promptly.

"Nice trick," Hyuuga stated impressed.

"We've been team mates since grade school. I've had to do this many times to keep the others from killing him in his sleep. Of course, it only works when I'm awake to do it."

"Interesting. That why he insists on always sleeps next to you?"

"That, and the fact that he misses the others. We're a pretty tightly-knit team."

"Pretty sappy team if you ask me."

"Well, that makes two of us. I notice Sawada is always sleeping next to you," Matsuyama retorted, nodding towards the younger player at Kojiro's other side.

"It's so I don't forget to include him when I wake up early to practice."

"Right. Not because he practically worships you as the older brother he never had," Hikaru said dubiously.

Hyuuga frowned.

"Either say what you want or I'm going to sleep," he declared, closing his eyes.

"That was pretty decent of you," Matsuyama found himself stating out loud, remarking on Hyuuga's earlier defense of Misugi.

"Pissing off Soda?" Hyuuga asked, eyes still shut.

"You know what I mean," Furano's captain answered.

"You were the one who stood up for him," Hyuuga argued.

"I wasn't the only one, though was I?"

Kojiro didn't answer.

"Never imagined you to be soft under that rough exterior," Matsuyama remarked under his breath as he lay back down.

"What?" Hyuuga's eyes opened to glare challengingly at Hikaru.

"Nothing," Hikaru replied straight faced, (though he was smiling on the inside), knowing full well that Kojiro heard him.

"That's what I thought."

A minute of silence passed. Thinking Kojiro wouldn't say anything else, Matsuyama decided to sleep.

"Urabe did have a point though," Hyuuga finally said, making Hikaru open his eyes.

"So you've noticed it too?" This was what he had wanted to talk about.

"Yeah."

"But you still defended him. It's because you didn't want the others to find out that he was here to observe them for the coach," Hikaru stated, looking at the ceiling.

Kojiro scoffed.

"What?" Hikaru asked raising his head up a bit to look at Hyuuga over Oda's sleeping form.

"And I'm supposed to be the insensitive one," Kojiro declared.

Furano's captain didn't like Hyuuga's insinuation. Matsuyama thought he had decent observation skills and was confident that he was correct in assuming that Misugi joined them because the Coach asked him to observe them. He thought that Hyuuga had figured that out as well, but that he had denied it earlier to keep the others from finding out. After all, they probably wouldn't react well to knowing that the ex-Musashi captain was there to 'spy' on them.

But Hyuuga's smug expression meant that the Tiger had another motive, and he was mocking Matsuyama for missing it. Hikaru frowned. _Two can play at that game. _

"You're saying there's another reason? I know you're protective of your team mates, but I never knew you are so caring about past rivals as well," Matsuyama taunted.

Kojiro glared at him. "You better watch your mouth."

Matsuyama knew he was walking on thin ice. After all, Hyuuga is known for his temper. However, another less known fact was that Kojiro respected guts, and Matsuyama, having them in spades, continued.

"Or is it just one's with a weak heart?"

Hyuuga's eyes narrowed.

_Okay, I may have overdone it with that last line,_ Matsuyama thought. But it was too late to back out now. He looked straight at Hyuuga, hoping he hadn't pushed his luck too far.

They gave each other the stink eye for a while before Hikaru broke the stare. He was too sleepy to argue anymore, and the fact that Hyuuga hadn't said anything meant that he wouldn't kill him, at least not that night. He lay back down and was gently drifting away.

"I saw him training," Hyuuga finally said, preventing Matsuyama's brain from shutting down.

"Saw who training?" Hikaru answered sleepily, eyes still shut.

"Misugi." Hikaru's eyelids flew open, and he turned on his side to look at Hyuuga. Oda's sleeping face blocked his view. He'd have to sit up.

"When?" Matsuyama asked, deciding he didn't need to see Kojiro's expression after all. He was too groggy to move.

"A couple of days ago. After practice, coach told me he really liked my tiger shot, that he thought it was a great weapon. I was so psyched that night that I woke up after only a few hours and couldn't go back to sleep. I decided to practice for a while and went out to the field. He was there."

"He was practicing?" Matsuyama asked, now raising himself up just enough to observe Kojiro. Resting on his elbow he saw Hyuuga nod, his face as emotionless as his voice.

"For how long?" Hikaru asked.

"Don't know. It was around 1 a.m. when I woke up. But I remember we all went to sleep that day around 9. It was one of our toughest practice sessions, and he had turned in with the rest of us. "

"Maybe, like you, he couldn't go to sleep and went out to burn some energy."

"Maybe," Kojiro answered dubiously.

"So did you join him?" Hikaru asked.

"He wasn't in the mood for company. I've practiced on my own enough times to recognize when someone else needs to be alone."

"Do you think he does that a lot?"

"It could just be a onetime thing," Kojiro stated, though he didn't sound like he believed it, "Either way I don't think he wants anyone to know he's practicing, or he wouldn't do so late at night on a dark field."

Matsuyama nodded in understanding, and then lay back down.

He himself had snuck out a few times to dribble, especially when he missed Yoshiko. He was positive Misugi missed Yayoi as well. After all, they were so inseparable it would be impossible for him not to. Hadn't both he and the Coach seen the signs? He had even made up a name for the symptoms.

But could he have been self-projecting? What if Misugi was missing something other than his girlfriend? What if there was a more obvious reason why Misugi studied players in a way that made Urabe uncomfortable; besides Matsuyama's deduction that the coach asked him to?

Matsuyama was already drowsy, and thinking made him even dizzier. He was about to fall asleep again when Hyuuga spoke and woke him up a second time.

"You know he visited my house once?"

"What for?" Matsuyama asked, keeping his eyes tightly shut and letting his exasperation show in his voice.

Hyuuga grinned. He realized that he had woken Hikaru up again. _Payback's a bitch. That's what you get for sleeping next to me, and for calling me soft._ But he decided to show the Hokkaido native some pity. This time he sat up himself, allow Hikaru to see him from his prone position as they spoke.

"It was the same day you butted into my business, asking me why I wasn't playing with my team. I returned home and found him and his shadow of a girlfriend waiting for me." He watched with satisfaction as Matsuyama's interest overcame his fatigue enough for him to open his eyes.

"What did he want?"

"The same thing you did, to know why I wasn't playing. Of course, you had already screwed up my day so I wasn't in a mood to exactly invite him in for tea. But he still managed to put in his two cents before I made him leave."

"You kicked him out of your house?!" Matsuyama exclaimed, sitting up in his shock. At his movement and raised voice, Oda stirred in his sleep. The two waited silently until he settled down, his snoring starting up again.

"Technically, he was already outside," Hyuuga continued, unconcerned.

"So, what did he say?"

"Don't remember," Hyuuga replied casually, lying back down again.

"Really?" Matsuyama raised an eyebrow. "Whatever it was must have made an impression, cause you showed up at Toho's next game; even though you were benched. And all this time, I thought it was thanks to my speech," Matsuyama stated, pretending he was hurt.

"As if I'd listen to anything you had to say," Hyuuga bantered, with a yawn as he turned on his side, giving Matsuyama his back. Just because he brought up the incident, didn't mean that he wanted to share the details. "Now go to sleep, we have early morning practice," he ordered.

Hikaru valiantly held himself from pointing out that he had been trying to sleep when Hyuuga decided to reminisce about how Misugi had helped him in the past. _I thought I was supposed to be the sappy one_, he thought. But he was too smart to voice that thought out loud. Instead he lay on his back thinking over what Kojiro had said, and pondering his motives.

_I guess even Hyuuga has a heart. Either that or Misugi grew on him. _

The idea put a grin on Matsuyama's face.

_I wonder if Misugi-kun knows he's made a new friend?_

**Author's note: **Okay, I adored the scenes between Hyuuga and Matsuyama in Shin Tsubasa, they are what inspired this chapter. But this turned out to be a very difficult chapter. I only rewrote it like 30 different times. It was so hard keeping everyone in character. Please let me know if I've succeeded, and feel free to point out any redundancies or grammatical errors. I've read this so many times, that it's become impossible for me to notice any errors no matter how big they are *_*. Reviews=love!


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